Cartoning machine



Aug- 5, 1952 w. E. MaGKENzlE 2,605,598

` CARTONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1947 v5 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y Aug. 5, 1952 w; E. MaOKx-:Nzn-i CARTONING MACHIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fivld Aug. 25', 1947` INVENTOR.

f f ""Wnullllu-A ATTORNEY W. E. MaCKENZlE CARTONING MACHINE Aug. 5, 1952 5 Shees-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 194'? ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1952 l w E. MaCKEN-E 2,605,598

CARTCJNING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 25, 1947 '5 Sheets-Sheet 4 f wfzliamLtMalNrnzme. EY /21 ATTORNEY Allg. 5, 1952 W, E, MacKENZ|E I CARTONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1947, I 5 sheets-sheet 5 @VW L J- 4'10 "fle:

V/9 1 I l fig-'l "3 INVE'Nrollz ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 GARTONING MACHINE William Ewan MacKenzie, 'South Croydon,

England Application August 25, 1947,- Seral N0. 770,511 In- GreatBitain August 26, 1946 i claims. (oise-.1.08)

This invention relates to cartoning machines and is more particularly, althoughnot exclusively,

concerned with the cartoningf of solid cubes of meat extract after thecubes have previously been wrapped in a protective inner wrapping of relatively vthin material.

The disadvantages of existingy cartoning ,ma-

chines are:

(a) The lfolding of Ythe carton about the wrapped cube is effected by many different folds l ing` operations involving theuse of different-mechanism associated with eachV folding stage.

(b) Difficulty is often experienced in separating the individual cartons from the magazine and feedingl the cartons squarely and positively ready for the first folding operation.

(c) Variation in the location and depth of scoring on the carton permits folding to occur away from the correct position at the corners of the pack. v

(d) Curling of the cartonsV occursfwhich hin'- ders' feeding and correct folding operations.

(e) Gum feeding and applying devices arenot positive and require considerable maintenance and running attention.

(f) The wrapped cube is'usually employed as? a former for shaping the relatively heavy carton cover which results in compression and distortion of the cube.

The object of the present invention thereforeis to provide a machine whereby the foregoing disadvantages are overcome. .4

Broadly, according to the present invention',

there is provided a cartoning machine' wherein the article to be wrapped isadvancedagainst the carton blank while contained within the lower end of a chute through which the article is delivered, means being provided for folding the lwal-ls'- of the carton around the lower end of the chute which comprises side walls corresponding in shape to the shape of the article, means for with-v drawing the chute from the carton andfor retaining the article in thelatter and further means y Afor completely folding the carton to cover the,

magazine the cartons in theform of blankslare folded concertina fashion and are cut into indi-j vidual blanks as they leave Vthe magazine and they are then acted upon by dies to `forint-he blanks each with tray-like parts which embrace two opposite sides of the cubeleaving portions adapted to embrace adjacent sides and the .dies also form folds in the sides which eventually `cover the top of the cubes. Preferably, all folds produced with the diesl and with the chute occur on lines which have previously been scored atl the time the carton blanks weregproduced.

In order that the invention maybe clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention as applied to the carton-1' ing of cubes .of meat extract referred to and which have already been wrappedv in an' inner protective wrapping of relatively thin material.

In the drawings: l.

Figure l is a plan view showing a strip of cartons beforer they are' divided into individual blanks; v

Figure 2 is a perspective view Ashowing one of the blanks when it is delivered onto a carrier member subsequent to the first folding' operation'.

Figure 3I is a. View showing vsuitable stampK4 and die means for shaping the blank as-i't appears' in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan View of a carrier.

Figures 5, 6 and' 7 illustrate' mechanism for effecting the first folding operation for folding the carton about four sides of the cube'.

Figures 8 to 1-1 are diagrammatic viewsiillus-"-r Y tion.

Figure 12- is a' view ofthe mechanismA illus-v trated diagrammatically in Figures 8 to 11, and

Figure 13 is a plan view of the complete machine. l

Referring to the drawings the mechanism comprises a chute l (see Figures 5, 6 and 7)," through which .the wrapped cubes 2vv are vfed` suc` cessively by a plunger 3 from a` trough Il' and means is 'provided for moving the chute I aXi'- ally towards a support carrying the carton.

The cartons are preferably fed in strip form'- (as shown in Figure 1) from a' magazine, the strip comprising a plurality of blanks arranged end to end. Each blank comprises two rela# Y tively narrow strips disposed at right angles in'v 3 individual blanks and the blanks are then fed successively between a die 5 and a punch E (see Figure 3) which are closed together to form in one of the strips of each blank two spaced apart troughs 'i (see Figure 2) for embracing the sides of the cube, the laterally disposed strip 3 of each blank being at the same time folded between panels 3 and itk and 8 and M and being adapted to be wrapped around the end and top of the cube whilst the intersecting portions of the strips of the blank constitute a base or floor 9.

During the formation of the blank it is transferred by the punch 6 passing through the die 5 on to a support or carrier I which is then moved and disposed below the chute I as shown in Figure 5. The wrapped cube 2 comes to rest within the chute I with its lower side approximately ush with t-e lower end of the chute which rests upon the centre or floors of the carton. The next operation consists in folding the two tray-like portions 'I of the carton about the sides of the cube and the transverse strip 8 around the ends of the cube.

Located below the carton carrier Il) are four vertical folding blades or members II which are moved upwardly and in so doing fold the carton around the four sides of the lower end of the chute (as shown in Figure 6). The chute I is then moved upwardly in advance of the plunger 3 as shown in Figure 7 so that the cube 2 is held on to the base 9 of the carton and is enveloped by the boxlike structure of the carton as the chute I moves upwardly. The plunger 3 is then raised, leaving the carrier if! with the partially cartoned cube to pass on to the next stage. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for imparting reciprocal movement to the folding members II of the carrier I, the axially movable chute I and to the plunger 3 which is movable in the chute. For example, such means may comprise fulcrum levers which are connected at one side of their fulcrums to means for moving the chute and yfor moving theplunger, said means being guidably supported by any suitable guiding mechanism. During this operation the two folds between panels 8 and I6 and 8 and I4 are sprung open and are afterwards closed by parts I3 and I5 (about to be described) the closing of lthese parts being easily and accurately effected due to the prior formation of the fold lines by the die and punch 6.

The carrier II) then moves on to the next stage to eect the folding of the carton over the top of the cube as illustrated in Figures 8 to 12`and passes between suitable guide means and a pair of wiping elements I2 are brought together pincer fashion to turn the ends 'Ia of each traylike part I of the carton over the top of the cube and then these wiping elements I2 are withdrawn simultaneously with the action of a third wiping element I3 acting at right angles which folds a tongue I4 on a non tray-like part over the just folded over portions 'Ia and the fourth wiping element I5 then moves transversely (see Figure 1l) over the remaining end I6 of the strip simultaneously with the withdrawal of the third wiping element I3.

The carrier II] then moves onwards to bring the cartoned cube below a heating element which is adapted to touch a heating medium or vadhesive applied to the tongue I6 of the strip to seal this tongue to the portion I4 of the carton located below it.

A completely cartoned cube is now moved by its carrier II) and passes below a pressure plate I'I (see Figure 13) which acts as a cold plate and cools the just heated part of the carton, the completely cartoned and sealed cubes leaving the machine at I8.

The cartoning mechanism above described is preferably carried by a rotor I9 (see Figure 13) rotatable in a horizontal plane which is rotated intermittently to move the carriers II! Afor the cubes through the different stages. Although the mechanism provided by this invention may be advantageously employed for use in conjunction with any wrapping machine for applying an inner wrapping to the cubes before they are cartoned, the invention is well suited to the wrap` ping machine described in my co-pending patent application Serial No. 770,512, now Patent No.

Whilst the invention has been described as being applicable to the cartoning of cubes of meat extract it will be readily appreciated that the apparatus may be employed for cartoning other articles such as jellies or the like. Also, whilst reference has been made to articles of cube form it will be well seen that by suitably adapting the mechanism that articles of other shapes may equally well be cartoned by adjusting the sizes of the various parts of the mechanism. Again, articles having more than four sides may also be cartoned by increasing the number of folding blades or members employed at the first folding operation.

Electrical control means is preferably fittedv to each machine so as to render the latter inop- Y a center base with four side walls, a carrier for holding said blank in position below the chute, members operatively associated 4with said carrier for folding the side walls of said carton blank around the lower end of said chute, meansfor selectively withdrawing the chute fromy the top of the folded carton so as to leave the article therein, wiper means operative after the withdrawing movement of said chute adapted to completely fold the carton blank over the top of the article fter thev chute is withdrawn, and a plurality of wiper members adapted to move transversely and longitudinally across the top of the carton blank,

to thereby fold over the top flaps of the blank which are provided at the outer ends of the side walls.

2. A carton machine forenclosing articles of cube or oblong form in carton blanks, comprising an article-holding chute, means for advancing thesaid chute and article against a carton v blank vin the form of a cross comprising a center base with four side walls, a carrier for holding transversely and longitudinally across the topv of the carton blank, to thereby fold over the flaps at the outer ends of the side walls of the blank over the top of the article, and heating means operable after actuation of the wiper members adapted to heat adhesive medium on the top aps of each carton blank to seal the same.

3. A carton machine for enclosing articles in carton blanks, comprising an article-holding chute, means for advancing the said-chute and article against a carton blank in the form of a cross comprising a center base with four side walls, a carrier for holding said blank in position below the chute, means operatively associated with said carrier for folding the said walls of said carton blank around the lower end of said chute, means for selectively withdrawing the chute from the top of the folded carton so as `to leave the article therein, a plurality of wiper members operative after the withdrawing movement of said chute adapted to move transversely and longitudinally across the top of the carton blank, to thereby fold the flaps at the outer ends of the side walls of the blank over the top of the article, and heating means operable after actuation of the wiper members adapted to heat adwipers have been actuated.

4. A carton machine for enclosing articles of substantially clube form in carton blanks, comprising an article-holding chute, means for ad- CFI vancing the said chute and article against a carton blank comprising two relatively narrow strips disposedat right angles in the form of a cross with upfolded i'laps, a plurality of carrier members for holding the carton blanks, said carrier being formed from a rotor and each being so shaped and so proportioned as to hold said blanks in position to receive the articles, means for imparting intermittent rotation of the rotor to bring the said carriers successively into positions adjacent stations adapted to effect a particular operation of the carton blanks until the article is completely enclosed, and means for discharging the cartoned article operatively associated with the last station.

WILLIAM EWAN MACKEN ZIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,295,951 Armstrong Mar.V 4, 1919 1,309,122 Escobales July 8, 1919 1,604,646 Langer Oct. 26', 1926 2,253,036 Kimple et al Aug. 19, 1941 2,374,172 Bronander Apr. 24, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 58,019 Austria Mar. 10, 1913 

